TAHLEQUAH, OK - Northeastern State University will bid farewell
to the Transformation Through Forgiveness monument on November
7. A small closing ceremony at 8:30 a.m. will commemorate its stay at
the University as well as offer a traveling blessing for its upcoming
journey to North Carolina where it will stay at the capitol of the Eastern
Band of Cherokee. It will be displayed at the beginning of the Trail of
Tears.

Representatives of the Cherokee Nation and NSU, as well
as artist Francis Jansen, will be at the ceremony. The community is invited
to attend this free event.

According to an article by Blaine Smith of The Northeastern
newspaper, the inspiration for the statue came to Jansen while visiting
a marble quarry in Italy. I was looking at this marble and saw the
image of a Native American man lying face down, said Jansen. I
was struck by it.

The article also mentions how Jansen worked on the statue
for nine months and in that time she developed a greater understanding
of its purpose. I knew it was a monument for forgiveness,
said Jansen. We need a lot of healing in America, especially where
there has been intense discrimination and injustices. It is through forgiveness
that we heal emotionally. Through forgiveness we can start again, yet
not forgetting where weve been.

Northeastern was chosen as a home for the statue
because of its affiliation with the Cherokee Nation and other Native American
traditions. According to the article by Smith, Jansen worked closely with
Carol Young and other representatives of the Center for Tribal Studies
in deciding to place the sculpture on campus. Previously the monument
had made its home at Southern Oregon University.